第51章 BOOK IV(14)

O Lord Jesu,said the Lady Ettard,how is it befallen unto me that I love now him that I have most hated of any man alive?

That is the righteous judgment of God,said the damosel.And then anon Sir Pelleas awaked and looked upon Ettard;and when he saw her he knew her,and then he hated her more than any woman alive,and said:Away,traitress,come never in my sight.And when she heard him say so,she wept and made great sorrow out of measure.

CHAPTER XXIII

How Sir Pelleas loved no more Ettard by means of the Damosel of the Lake,whom he loved ever after.

SIR KNIGHT PELLEAS,said the Damosel of the Lake,take your horse and come forth with me out of this country,and ye shall love a lady that shall love you.I will well,said Sir Pelleas,for this Lady Ettard hath done me great despite and shame,and there he told her the beginning and ending,and how he had purposed never to have arisen till that he had been dead.And now such grace God hath sent me,that I hate her as much as ever I loved her,thanked be our Lord Jesus!Thank me,said the Damosel of the Lake.Anon Sir Pelleas armed him,and took his horse,and commanded his men to bring after his pavilions and his stuff where the Damosel of the Lake would assign.So the Lady Ettard died for sorrow,and the Damosel of the Lake rejoiced Sir Pelleas,and loved together during their life days.

CHAPTER XXIV

How Sir Marhaus rode with the damosel,and how he came to the Duke of the South Marches.

NOW turn we unto Sir Marhaus,that rode with the damosel of thirty winter of age,southward.And so they came into a deep forest,and by fortune they were nighted,and rode long in a deep way,and at the last they came unto a courtelage,and there they asked harbour.But the man of the courtelage would not lodge them for no treatise that they could treat,but thus much the good man said,An ye will take the adventure of your lodging,Ishall bring you where ye shall be lodged.What adventure is that that I shall have for my lodging?said Sir Marhaus.Ye shall wit when ye come there,said the good man.Sir,what adventure so it be,bring me thither I pray thee,said Sir Marhaus;for I am weary,my damosel,and my horse.So the good man went and opened the gate,and within an hour he brought him unto a fair castle,and then the poor man called the porter,and anon he was let into the castle,and so he told the lord how he brought him a knight errant and a damosel that would be lodged with him.Let him in,said the lord,it may happen he shall repent that they took their lodging here.

So Sir Marhaus was let in with torchlight,and there was a goodly sight of young men that welcomed him.And then his horse was led into the stable,and he and the damosel were brought into the hall,and there stood a mighty duke and many goodly men about him.Then this lord asked him what he hight,and from whence he came,and with whom he dwelt.Sir,he said,I am a knight of King Arthur's and knight of the Table Round,and my name is Sir Marhaus,and born I am in Ireland.And then said the duke to him,That me sore repenteth:the cause is this,for I love not thy lord nor none of thy fellows of the Table Round;and therefore ease thyself this night as well as thou mayest,for as to-morn I and my six sons shall match with you.Is there no remedy but that I must have ado with you and your six sons at once?said Sir Marhaus.No,said the duke,for this cause I made mine avow,for Sir Gawaine slew my seven sons in a recounter,therefore I made mine avow,there should never knight of King Arthur's court lodge with me,or come thereas I might have ado with him,but that I would have a revenging of my sons'death.

What is your name?said Sir Marhaus;I require you tell me,an it please you.Wit thou well I am the Duke of South Marches.Ah,said Sir Marhaus,I have heard say that ye have been long time a great foe unto my lord Arthur and to his knights.That shall ye feel to-morn,said the duke.Shall I have ado with you?said Sir Marhaus.Yea,said the duke,thereof shalt thou not choose,and therefore take you to your chamber,and ye shall have all that to you longeth.So Sir Marhaus departed and was led to a chamber,and his damosel was led unto her chamber.And on the morn the duke sent unto Sir Marhaus and bade make him ready.And so Sir Marhaus arose and armed him,and then there was a mass sung afore him,and brake his fast,and so mounted on horseback in the court of the castle where they should do the battle.So there was the duke all ready on horseback,clean armed,and his six sons by him,and everych had a spear in his hand,and so they encountered,whereas the duke and his two sons brake their spears upon him,but Sir Marhaus held up his spear and touched none of them.

CHAPTER XXV

How Sir Marhaus fought with the duke and his four sons and made them to yield them.

THEN came the four sons by couple,and two of them brake their spears,and so did the other two.And all this while Sir Marhaus touched them not.Then Sir Marhaus ran to the duke,and smote him with his spear that horse and man fell to the earth,and so he served his sons;and then Sir Marhaus alighted down and bade the duke yield him or else he would slay him.And then some of his sons recovered,and would have set upon Sir Marhaus;then Sir Marhaus said to the duke,Cease thy sons,or else I will do the uttermost to you all.Then the duke saw he might not escape the death,he cried to his sons,and charged them to yield them to Sir Marhaus;and they kneeled all down and put the pommels of their swords to the knight,and so he received them.And then they helped up their father,and so by their cominal assent promised to Sir Marhaus never to be foes unto King Arthur,and thereupon at Whitsuntide after to come,he and his sons,and put them in the king's grace.